Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Canpinter]

If DeSantis (or anyone other than Trump) wins the Republican nomination...I hope Trump runs as an independent just to be a spoiler candidate and to "prove" that the GOP needs him to win.

Honestly where he could really fuck over the republicans would be to pull his election conspiracy bs again and sue to keep Desantis off the ballet.

[Poopymonster]

Honestly where he could really fuck over the republicans would be to pull his election conspiracy bs again and sue to keep Desantis off the ballet.

You wanna see someone stroke out?
Wanna see someone use so many ALL CAPS Clippy is magically summoned from the Abyss?
He sues to keep DeSatan off the ballot, Supreme Court says "No."
Petty mango man loses his shit all over the internet.
I'd fucking LOVE him to start saying all he did to get Kneel Gorsuck, Amy Covid Bearer and Shouty Beer Man on the court.
Pulling strings to get debt abolished, directing the FBI to only glance in the direction of rape allegations, telling his party to ignore perjury during confirmation hearings, you know, minor things like that. Illegal things.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Honestly where he could really fuck over the republicans would be to pull his election conspiracy bs again and sue to keep Desantis off the ballet.

I think that if he just runs as an independent he pulls enough voters away to ensure neither of them can win.

[Breccia]

Once again, it is not a good day to be Donald Trump.

1) Trump’s Truth Social Faces More Trouble As SPAC Partner Admits Financial Statements Are Unreliable

Digital World Acquisition Corp., which plans to merge with the parent company of Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, reported it made accounting errors in its last financial report, adding to financial reporting issues that have threatened to delist the company from Nasdaq, on top of two investigations that have delayed the deal with Trump.

In a May 18 filing, Digital World Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that signed a deal in 2021 to merge with Trump’s media company to take Truth Social public, reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission it had made accounting errors in its annual financial report for 2022.

The year-end report can “no longer be relied upon,” Digital World told regulators, and the company is now developing a remediation plan to address the “material weakness” in its “internal control over financial reporting,” per the filing.

Digital World Acquisition also has not filed an earnings report for the first quarter of 2023, which is required for all companies listed on Nasdaq.

The company has until July 24 to submit a plan or be delisted from the stock exchange—the SEC can then accept or deny the company’s plan, and if it rejects it, Digital World can appeal.

In a public statement on Thursday addressing the SEC’s filing, Digital World said the delisting warning was “expected” and it was working “diligently” to file its earnings before July 24.

Very little, if anything, has gone right for CyberTrump 2077 or its financial backers.

2) Trump is likely the first guest Tucker Carlson wanted on his Twitter show. Maybe. Problem is, he doesn't have any hardware to make the show.

Fox News sent workers to the barn where Carlson filmed episodes of Tucker Carlson Tonight and took back all their toys.

“Fox came in last week and got all their sh*t out of there,” said Carlson’s construction manager Patrick Feeney. “They took the set and everything, all the equipment, the chairs, the desk, the fake walls, everything.”

That means should Carlson want to make do on his vow to get back into filmed monologues, he’s going to have to start from scratch. Indeed, the workers even dismantled his barn set. Getting things back to normal will take at least a month.

Sources also tell the Daily Mail that several FOX News employees quit to work with Carlson.

3) Once again it's time for Guess The Almost Speaker!

One of Trump’s great weaknesses is he talks at a level where third, fourth and fifth grade educations can say, ‘Oh yeah, I get that. I understand it.’

"I think a lot of people would say that?"

Yes. But I changed one word.

One of Trump’s great advantages is he talks at a level where third, fourth and fifth grade educations can say, ‘Oh yeah, I get that. I understand it.’

-- Newt Gingrich, on FOX News

Wanna see the video? It's on Twitter, I'll understand if you don't. Twitter has beEeeeeEe^x
########
int failure_to_launch(int x, string host) {
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return !myPresident;
else
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and whistled for a baboon.

4) Trump begs Georgia judge to reconsider decision not to further delay election case

I touched on this briefly before. The judge already said no, Team Trump has refiled adding "pretty please" as near as I can tell.

5) Trump’s Lawyers Warn Him: Get Ready to Be Indicted by the Feds

I've read, and should have posted if I haven't, Bill Barr, Ty Cobb and former acting U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal both saying "he's going to be indicted" after Trump begged Garland to call of Smith.

Speaking to MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, Katyal called the letter a "last-ditch effort."

"It's the kind of thing you do right before you think you're about to be indicted, and it is likely—almost certainly—going nowhere," he said.

As for when a Trump indictment from Smith might be issued, Katyal said that given "the scope of the investigation and "how it heated up in the last few weeks," his "expectation is this is going to be soon."

But those were just experienced lawyers talking to the American people. Trump's lawyers telling Trump is different.

Trump’s attorneys and confidants have told Trump that though they view the federal investigation as “bullshit,” they would be surprised at this point if he wasn’t charged — particularly for alleged obstruction of justice — and have urged Trump to prepare for yet another historic fight. “Looks like they’re going for it,” one of the sources says. “People close to Trump have discussed with him what we think is going to happen soon, and how he and everyone else needs to be ready for it … it would be crazy not to.”

"But they're still calling it bullshit!"

Yes. They want to be paid. Anyone telling Trump that Trump is anything other than an infallible god is immediately fired.

The Rolling Stone goes on to say that Trump's response was "what about Biden?"

He's just that insane. He just doesn't get it. Even if Biden was 100% guilty of every imaginary crime Trump and his cult made up, that does not excuse Trump's crimes in any way.

As some of you (such as @Edge- hollaaaaaaaaaaa) posted, DeSaster is now seemingly floating a pardon for Trump in exchange for stepping down. Feds, he can do that. The timing of that pardon offer suggests that this is no longer a big secret.

[Edge-]

3) Once again it's time for Guess The Almost Speaker!



"I think a lot of people would say that?"

Yes. But I changed one word.


-- Newt Gingrich, on FOX News

Wanna see the video? It's on Twitter, I'll understand if you don't. Twitter has beEeeeeEe^x
########
int failure_to_launch(int x, string host) {
if(x==45)
return !myPresident;
else
return sql_lookup(x,host);
}
########
and whistled for a baboon.

I enjoy that he just called "working Americans" all basically big dumb idiots with a 5th grade education at best. Truly it's wild the things that these people say seemingly without realizing it, and without anyone else taking note of it or commenting. Just, "Yep, Republicans have a 5th grade education. Didn't even get to middle school. Highschool? Woah there, nerd alert, brainiac."

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/25/u...documents.html

The day before a key meeting last year between a lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and officials seeking the return of classified documents in Mr. Trump’s possession, a maintenance worker at the former president’s private club saw an aide moving boxes into a storage room, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The maintenance worker offered to help the aide — Walt Nauta, who was Mr. Trump’s valet in the White House — move the boxes and ended up lending him a hand. But the worker had no idea what was inside the boxes, the person familiar with the matter said. The maintenance worker has shared that account with federal prosecutors, the person said.

The worker’s account is potentially significant to prosecutors as they piece together details of how Mr. Trump handled sensitive documents he took with him from the White House upon leaving office and whether he obstructed efforts by the Justice Department and the National Archives to retrieve them.

Somehow I don't think maintenance workers at Mar a Lago have the security clearance necessary to be touching boxes with classified documents and all. And also isn't that kinda weird that these boxes were treated so casually that aides were just accepting help from random employees?

[cubby]

If DeSantis (or anyone other than Trump) wins the Republican nomination...I hope Trump runs as an independent just to be a spoiler candidate and to "prove" that the GOP needs him to win.

If he loses the nomination, I'm not sure he'd have enough time to run as independent. However, if there was time (and I should know, but don't), one of his evil advisers should convince him to form his own party - the Freedom Party - THAT would fuck everyone in the GOP.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

If he loses the nomination, I'm not sure he'd have enough time to run as independent. However, if there was time (and I should know, but don't), one of his evil advisers should convince him to form his own party - the Freedom Party - THAT would fuck everyone in the GOP.

I know Perot re-entered the Presidential Race as an indenpendent in October of 1992..only one month before the election...but I do not know if there were any special circumsances that allowed him to do so.

[DarkTZeratul]

The only real time limit is when each state finalizes their ballots; there's nothing legally imposing a time limit on him, and since they need to wait for the primaries to be over anyway, he could easily announce an independent run the same day he fails to get the Republican nomination and still be on every ballot as such.

[Kaleredar]

I think that if he just runs as an independent he pulls enough voters away to ensure neither of them can win.

God willing

I enjoy that he just called "working Americans" all basically big dumb idiots with a 5th grade education at best. Truly it's wild the things that these people say seemingly without realizing it, and without anyone else taking note of it or commenting. Just, "Yep, Republicans have a 5th grade education. Didn't even get to middle school. Highschool? Woah there, nerd alert, brainiac."

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/25/u...documents.html



Somehow I don't think maintenance workers at Mar a Lago have the security clearance necessary to be touching boxes with classified documents and all. And also isn't that kinda weird that these boxes were treated so casually that aides were just accepting help from random employees?

Clearly Trump bestowed them with security clearance with his mind powers. The exact same mind powers he used to declassify the documents in the first place!

[Nymrohd]

IMHO if Trump tried to run as an independent the GOP establishment would immediately withdraw any protection they afford him. Better to lose just the cultists than to let him fully split the vote. My understanding is that the vast majority of the judicial appointments made are not in any way loyal to Trump.

[Gorsameth]

The only real time limit is when each state finalizes their ballots; there's nothing legally imposing a time limit on him, and since they need to wait for the primaries to be over anyway, he could easily announce an independent run the same day he fails to get the Republican nomination and still be on every ballot as such.

It would probably be another court battle as a bunch of states have 'sore loser' laws that prevent a loser from the primary to run as independent or another party. And those laws would likely be fought over all the way to the supreme court if Trump tried to run after losing the nomination.

[SoulForge]

IMHO if Trump tried to run as an independent the GOP establishment would immediately withdraw any protection they afford him. Better to lose just the cultists than to let him fully split the vote. My understanding is that the vast majority of the judicial appointments made are not in any way loyal to Trump.

He doesn't understand the fact that they are not loyal to him. It boggles his mind.

[Breccia]

I found what I think is a credible source on the matter, the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. I think we can all agre on that.

This article has good news and bad news.

"For who?"

Yes.

1) Twenty Trump states, with 225 electoral college votes amongst them, have "sore loser" laws. Trump, or any other Republican for that matter, faces an effectively impossible challenge without those states.
2) Even the states that don't might have other issues, such as deadlines, that effectively do the same. (Kansas is called out)
3) SCOTUS has ruled that "sore loser" state laws are, in fact, street legal. The most direct case appears to be Storer vs. Brown in 1973.

he State's general policy is to have contending forces within the party employ the primary campaign and primary election to finally settle their differences. The general election ballot is reserved for major struggles; it is not a forum for continuing intra-party feuds.

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/415/724/

4) While SCOTUS has not directly ruled on Presidential runs, federal courts have, and the "sore loser" laws were upheld in them.

Now, the other angle.

5) Of the states with "sore loser" laws, only some of them are effectively set in stone in this case, as they not only spell out the word "presidential" but also prevent cross-party filing. Many American voters on these threads has seen, on their local ballots, the same name in different parties before. Some of the aforementioned 20 states allow Trump to file, right now, as both a Republican and an Independent (or Trump Party or Rigged Party or why not the Sore Loser Party). Other "sore loser" laws don't spell out the word "presidential" and/or don't prevent cross-party registration.

In other words, he's still have an obstacle but it would be less impossible.

6) But then we get to the real issue: selective enforcement. In the past, some of the states with "sore loser" laws have just, you know, not applied them. This would be easier in cases of vaguer laws, of course, but a state like, say, South Carolina could look at the laws on the books and just decide not to apply them because they want Trump to win.

And this is where the timing absolutely matters. There are two options for such states should Trump lose the Republican nomination:

A) Trump is allowed to run anyway, DeSantis (or whoever) sues, Trump likely loses those because (i) the laws are clear in most cases and (ii) his lawyers suck, but he keeps appealling and his name remains on the ballot, the election happens, the election is certified, and the court challenge no longer matters.
B) Trump is prevented from running and sues, but the ballots stay the same until he has a conclusive and final win, which again, probably can't happen in time.

The Constitution is clear: states get to run themselves in these matters. One victory or one loss by Trump in one state means nothing about the other nineteen. Trump would likely need to fight a dozen or so cases all the way up to SCOTUS, not only all at once, but all in a hurry.

Is it possible? Yes. Is it likely? No. Overall, this is telling Trump "fine, don't do a full Iron Man, just run the marathon part". Ohio, for example, has both direct and specific laws using the word "presidential" and preventing cross-party, and the Ohio AG said so loudly in public in 2015 -- since which, nothing in Ohio has changed. Trump lost both popular votes by millions, but squeaked one victory just barely by. Take out Ohio, good luck. Take out all the states that have laws preventing this -- a condition that would require a fuckton of selective enforcement to greatly favor Trump -- and he's facing an uphill battle only HW in 1988 could clear. Ironic, considering he'd be trying to do what killed HW in 1992, split the GOP and give a Clinton the White House.

Conclusion

In a significant number of states, sore-loser laws apply to candidates for president. In 2024, if Trump tries and fails to win the Republican nomination, he will be prevented from accessing the general election ballot in a majority of states including ones crucial to a conservative candidate. As a result, it would be effectively impossible for him to win the general election as a third-party or independent candidate if he does not win the Republican nomination.

"What's stopping Trump from just declaring himself an Indy now?"

His ego. Trump is a narcisistic sociopath.

He doesn't understand the fact that they are not loyal to him. It boggles his mind.

This. Trump is has a ticking clock, a Sword of Dumbascles if you will, and he doesn't know it. If there is any chance at all he will lose the Republican nomination -- for example, he gets arrested a few more times, convicted, or divorced and enough states finally decide a lying loser isn't the best bestiest best -- he should bail right now and make his own party. Not only do I not see that happening, nobody else does either. He might bail midway through if time permits, something that will not help his image or his polling results, but at least give him the same chance as H. Ross Perot.

I think the article I posted is as definative as an undefinative subject can get. Hopefully I read it correctly.

[fwc577]

So, now that Trump and DeSantis are officially attacking each other, I will tell you how this last went with two divisive candidates attacking each other in my state.

In my state, Rebecca Kleefisch went up against Tim Michels for governor of Wisconsin.

It was a punch-out nasty fight between the two and their supporters became very vocal toward each other.

I watched as Republicans fought against each other on social media.

At the end, Michels defeated Kleefisch for the nomination.

However, in the actual election, Michels lost to Incumbent Evers and part of it was because of people who simply didn't vote once their guy, Kleefisch, lost. Because while many Republicans are dumb as fuck, that gives them the traits of also being stubborn and they wouldn't vote for the other candidate because they felt they were slighted.

This same shit gonna happen here.

If DeSaster wins, he's not going to get that loyal Trump base out for him. If Trump wins, those same people who abandoned him in 2020 and likely many others, won't turn out for a loser a second time around.

[Mazza]

Can't he just call for his followers to write him in? Or do sore loser laws also prevent that somehow?

[gondrin]

Can't he just call for his followers to write him in? Or do sore loser laws also prevent that somehow?

Yes, they can do a write in for Trump if they wanted to as write in votes are legal. However, due to how states count votes, the vote may not be counted.

https://ballotpedia.org/Write-in_candidate

Eight states did not have any requirements and would allow voters to write in any name as a write-in vote.[3] Those states were Alabama, Delaware, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Thirty-three states would only accept votes for write-in candidates who officially registered with the state. In order for the vote to be counted, the candidate must have submitted all the necessary registration documents by a specific deadline, either by filing paperwork, paying a fee, collecting signatures, or some combination of the aforementioned.[4][5]

Nine states (Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota), did not allow write-in votes.

[The Stormbringer]

Somehow I don't think maintenance workers at Mar a Lago have the security clearance necessary to be touching boxes with classified documents and all. And also isn't that kinda weird that these boxes were treated so casually that aides were just accepting help from random employees?

It's bizarre to me that decent sounding people wind up working for Trump. Like, I get that statistically it's bound to happen, but it still surprises me...

[Breccia]

it was because of people who simply didn't vote once their guy, Kleefisch, lost.

We had a hint of that in 2020. I think it's very realistic that, no matter who wins the GOP nod in 2024, a respectable percent of Trump cultists or classic conservatives will just stay home.

Can't he just call for his followers to write him in?

Did you just imply Trump cultists can read?

No seriously, one, I think if Trump is off the ballot that too many of them will fail to choose this option, and two, I have no idea what the write-in laws even are. The US political system is not designed for it.

[Edge-]

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2023...exualize-kids/

Feel free to not click on the link, it's Breitbart. But just wanted to share the escalating rhetoric amongst the two "frontrunner" candidates in the GOP

DeSantis: Trump Siding with Disney — ‘Multinational Corporation that Wants to Sexualize Kids’

Oh boy, suddenly the "groomer" label is turned back around on Trump. I'm not sure this is going to win DeSantis any of Trump's voters, though.

[The Stormbringer]

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2023...exualize-kids/

Feel free to not click on the link, it's Breitbart. But just wanted to share the escalating rhetoric amongst the two "frontrunner" candidates in the GOP

Oh boy, suddenly the "groomer" label is turned back around on Trump. I'm not sure this is going to win DeSantis any of Trump's voters, though.

So, uh, what proof does DeSantis have that Disney is sexualizing kids...? Or planning to do so, I guess?